Have just won the under 19 grand final against a plucky Wigan team. This means they didn't lose a single game all season. Some cracking players in that team who will become good super league players and some that will still be able to carve a rugby league career at the likes of Huddersfield and Hull kr. It's just a shame other clubs don't put the effort in with the academy like Saints and Wigan do

Regards

King James

Congratulations on an excellent season for the Saints u19's

The Rhinos academy system also produces the odd quality player too
Some of who'm have gone on to winning numerous Grand Finals, World club challenges,League leaders shields and also Challenge cups

Fantastic effort from Saints. By far and away the best U19s team this year. From a Bulls point of view, delighted with our effort of finishing 5th with the bulk of it being 1st years. With 14 more signed up from our U16s, we're slowly but surely rebuilding. Some very exciting juniors on our books.

Agree regarding efforts of some clubs efforts.

I think a lot of the leeds U19's were last years U16's, so a young, and very promising batch who narrowly lost to wigan in the semi final.
it bodes well for our game when clubs are focusing on developing youth.

It does indeed.
It should be a condition of being in Super League, the Championship and Championship 1 that you have junior academies.

It's not worth taking too much notice of really as some years the U19s of some sides can be a really young set against other sides who happen to have an older bunch.

It is. Maybe worth looking at running an under 18s and under 20s instead of 16s then straight to 19s, which imo would match up more evenly the age gap of the lads as there is a big difference in size development in particular between 16/17 year olds and 19 year olds. Would also give an extra year of development for lads who when they get themselves to 19 are quickly thrown on scrap heap or farmed out to the championship if they are not seen as ready for the first team squad.

All teams put the effort in you clown but there can only be one winner - stupid post as ever.

Correct.

I think Wakey won it in 2011 and none of those players have made the grade with only Chris Anakin gaining a contract. We won because at the time most of our players were on the older side with a fair bit of experience playing to gether - they were a good team rather thann exceptional players.

Tom Johnstone and Max Jowitt on the other hand came from a relatively poor Academy team - you just can't tell.

Why is it stupid for a rugby fan to be proud of its youngsters achievements who could develop our future game.

Because he suggested that Saints and Wigan put more effort in than most which is plain wrong - thought that was obvious.

Nothing wrong with being proud, everything wrong with that level of pomposity.

Finally though Wigan do have something of a reputation with Academy players as do Cas and as did Leeds for a long time I don't recall any of my contacts in the game ever being overly impreesed with the Saints set up. They have produced a fair number of players but are yet to really produce a team based on their Academy products which is what the three clubs I mentioned have managed. That said the signing of 10 of them on scholorships is a big positive.

This is why I pointed out the Wakefield team which won it not so long ago, wait and see where they all end up before chipping away at other clubs who try just as hard.

Looking at the bigger picture - 2016 resultsOutstanding

Leeds
Saints
Warrington
Widnes
Wigan


Good

Bradford
Cas
Hudds
London
Newcastle


Needs Improvement

Salford
Wakefield


Yet to be assessed.

City of Hull (2015 - Hull FC - Outstanding, Hull KR - Good)
Catalans

Oh really? So why is Wakefields academy in dire need of improvement? Not my words, the words of the RFL

Regards

King James

I wouldn't bother with Vastman most of the time he writes a lot of GUFF.

He probably completely ignores the facts of the recent 2014 Grand final, Saints had 8 academy trained players and Wigan had 10 academy trained players in that match.

It's not what the the RFL said at the start of the year,you've added your own word for added effect haven't you.

Regards

King Shifty.